Caron Butler (knee) will play against the Blazers on Tuesday.

Butler has been bothered by injuries quite a bit in his career and this is nothing new. Even though he's starting, he'll be in a timeshare with Matt Barnes at small forward tonight.

Caron Butler will be a game-time decision on Tuesday vs. the Blazers.

Butler was expected to "probably" be a game-time call, and not much has changed in that regard. "Every indication" pointed to Butler playing, but we should have a better idea after shootaround. If he sits, Matt Barnes will be an intriguing spot start.

Updating a previous item, Caron Butler did not practice on Monday due to his sore right knee and is "probably" a game-time decision for Tuesday's game against the Blazers, according to coach Vinny Del Negro.

This is a much different report than we received earlier and now it sounds like Butler is 50-50, at best. If he's out, Matt Barnes should be an interesting fantasy play.

Caron Butler didn't return to Saturday's game after leaving with a sore right knee.

Butler has only missed four games this season, surprising durability for the 11-year veteran, and at no point has he missed consecutive games. The Clippers' win tonight gives them a two-game lead over the Grizzlies for the No. 4 seed, with two games remaining, and there could be a DNP in Butler's near future.

Caron Butler scored five points in Saturday's lopsided defeat in Houston, while fellow starters DeAndre Jordan and Willie Green combined for 14 points.

The Clippers came out flatter than a dollar bill in the third quarter, and the only guys who finished in double-figures were Blake Griffin (12 points), Chris Paul (19 points, seven assists) and Jamal Crawford (15 points, one steal). Delete this game for evaluation purposes, and expect a much stronger effort as the Clippers try to avoid a three-game losing streak vs. the Pacers on Monday.

Caron Butler (elbow) will play Tuesday, as expected.

Butler continues to ice his troublesome right (shooting) elbow during shootarounds, but he played 28 minutes on Sunday and emerged healthy. It's bad news for Matt Barnes owners. Barnes gets 37.4 minutes when Butler is inactive and 25.4 when he is active.

Caron Butler (elbow) returned to action vs. the Knicks with 14 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds and one assist, taking over at SF for Matt Barnes.

Butler has honed his perimeter shooting in recent years, and fully 45 percent of his attempts this year have come from beyond the arc. Unfortunately his fantasy upside is capped by the Clippers' depth on the wings -- with Butler, Chauncey Billups, Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford all vying for minutes, both Grant Hill and Willie Green have fallen out of the rotation.

Caron Butler (elbow) will return to the lineup on Sunday against the Knicks.

He'll probably get his starting job back and move Matt Barnes back to the bench. Although, Barnes has more value than Butler in fantasy leagues with the way he can fill the stat sheet. Butler can remain on waivers in most leagues.

Caron Butler, who missed Wednesday's game against Memphis with a strained left elbow, is expected to play on Sunday.

"He's got a sleeve on it," said Vinny Del Negro. "It's not 100%, but I expect him to be available." While Butler's return is good for the Clippers in reality, it's a drag for fantasy owners who picked up Matt Barnes for the stretch run.

Caron Butler (elbow) is likely to return against the Knicks.

He practiced on Friday and all signs point to him coming back after only missing one game. Butler was expected to miss a week with the injury, so it's a mild surprise to see him return. Matt Barnes will get a little less playing time with Butler back. Plan accordingly.

Caron Butler (elbow) practiced Friday and hopes to play Sunday against the Knicks.

Butler was originally expected to miss "about a week," which would coincide nicely with Sunday's game. If Butler is able to return Sunday, Matt Barnes would shift back into a bench role. Owners will want to check back after practice Saturday to see if the Clippers give a more definitive update on Butler's status.

Caron Butler was "optimistic" that he could have played Wednesday, but he sat out after experiencing pain in shootaround.

Butler was said to be out "about a week" when the original diagnosis was given, but it sounds like he is eyeing an early return. The Clippers don't play again until Sunday, so it's possible he could come back against the Knicks. If he does, Matt Barnes will shift back to a bench role.

Caron Butler (strained left elbow) is expected to miss "about a week," according to Vinny Del Negro.

Matt Barnes should thrive in Butler's absence, and he's the most likely fill-in starter, but the Clippers' two-game schedule this week throws a wet blanket on our enthusiasm. Grant Hill will also pick up extra minutes while Butler recovers, as will Jamal Crawford (ankle), who is probable for Wednesday.

Caron Butler scored 15 points (three 3-pointers) in Sunday's blowout win over the Pistons, but he injured his elbow and will get an MRI on Monday.

Vinny Del Negro and Butler's teammates were apparently "concerned about the severity" of the injury, which could keep Butler out for a while. Although X-rays revealed just a bruise, the fact that an MRI was immediately scheduled and both the coach and teammates expressed concern leaves us with a feeling it could be serious. "He's in some pain right now, so hopefully we get some good news tomorrow," Del Negro said. "He's not feeling very good right now with his elbow." If Butler is forced out of action, Matt Barnes' value would rise with Grant Hill also seeing some more action than usual. Jamal Crawford would be asked to do a little more, too.

Caron Butler hit just 3-of-8 shots for seven points and three rebounds in 19 minutes of Wednesday's win.

His hot streak is over, as he's scored just 7, 10, 13 and 2 points in each of his last four games. He was lighting it up nightly prior to then, while Matt Barnes is heating up off the bench. Barnes had 20 points, six 3-pointers and a fat stat line on Wednesday. He's been in foul trouble a lot over the last two weeks, but still looks like a better player to own than Butler right now.

Caron Butler stayed hot on Tuesday with 16 points, seven rebounds, a steal and four more 3-pointers on 6-of-11 shooting in a cakewalk over the Bobcats.

Butler is officially sizzling, scoring 16, 21, 11, 13 and 19 points in each of his last five games, with 13 3-pointers and shooting close to 50 percent during the stretch. Feel free to ride him while he's hot, but beware that the Clippers play just three games next week, two games the following week and then three games again in Week 21, which is about as bad as it gets.

Caron Butler led the Clippers with 21 points in a rousing home win vs. the Jazz, making 7-of-13 FGs with two 3-pointers, five rebounds and one steal.

Butler played 31 minutes and he's now scored double-digit points in four straight games, but we'd caution against reading too much into this. His numbers are too sporadic to expect more from him than points (11.8 in February) and 3-pointers (1.8).

Caron Butler made his second start since returning from a back injury on Thursday, scoring 13 points with eight boards, one assist and three 3-pointers against the Lakers.

He's gone on hot stretches before and the break comes at a bad time for him with three 3-pointers in back-to-back games. He will be in a timeshare at best with Matt Barnes (11 points with four rebounds, one block and three 3-pointers), so Caron is only worth a look as a 3-pointer guy in deeper leagues.

Caron Butler returned from a sore back and got hot early, finishing Wednesday's win with 19 points, four assists, two steals and three 3-pointers on 8-of-15 shooting.

This one came out of nowhere, as Butler had scored 3, 8 and 7 points in his previous three games. He was playing pretty well prior to that, and tonight's line could be a sign he's about to get it going again. He could struggle going forward with Chauncey Billups back and Matt Barnes still playing well, but he deserves a close look in most leagues if he's going to start playing well again.

Caron Butler (back) and Chauncey Billups (foot) will start against the Rockets on Wednesday.